Medical Tourism to Malaysia

Malaysia is one the fastest emerging destinations for medical tourism in Asia, mainly catering for Asian health travelers.

According to the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM), the majority of Malaysia's medical tourists come from Indonesia mainly due to the superior quality of healthcare that Malaysia offers. The same reason draws health travelers from other Asian countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Patients from richer Asian countries like Singapore and Japan, (which are the second and third highest origins of medical travelers respectively), visit Malaysia due to the lower prices of medical procedures.

Australians and people from the European Union are attracted to the lower cost of medical procedures in Malaysia, whilst Middle Eastern medical travelers visit Malaysia for both the price and the quality of healthcare provided. The country has also been targeting Muslim tourists with its options for Halal treatments, such as medicine not derived from pork.

The Healthcare System in Malaysia

The majority of hospitals offering services to medical tourists are privately owned institutions following internationally recognized standards in healthcare.

Currently, there are at least 35 hospitals in Malaysia that are being geared towards medical tourism. All are accredited locally by the Malaysian Medical Society for Quality of Health (MSQH) and are licensed by the Malaysian Ministry of Health. Most of these hospitals are accredited by international bodies including the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Joint Commissions International (JCI) among others, making them on par with medical institutions in western countries.

Doctors and staff practicing at Malaysian international hospitals are English-speaking and internationally trained. Over 90 percent of these doctors were trained in the UK, USA or Australia, and in some cases are involved in international medical research.

Top Hospitals in Malaysia for Medical Tourism

Penang Adventist Hospital
Jalan Burma, Malaysia
First accredited by the JCI on November 2007. Established in 1924, this non-profit hospital is fully owned and controlled by a Malaysian company and has grown since then as a tertiary healthcare institution using up-to-date medical equipment and procedures.

Twin Towers Medical Center
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur is the in-house medical facility situated in the Petronas Twin Tower complex. This medical center is the largest outpatient polyclinic in Malaysia's premiere commercial center, catering to both local and international patients.

Institute Jantung Negara National Heart Institute
Also known as IJN, it is the leading heart institution in Malaysia that is also JCI accredited offering advanced cardiovascular and thoracic health services to both adult and pediatric patients, working in conjunction with leading international medical organizations and using the latest techniques in heart care.

International Specialist Eye Center (ISEC)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
First accredited by the JCI on February 2009. An ambulatory surgical center or ASC, ISEC is Malaysia's premiere center for ophthalmology and eye care.

Cost of Medical Treatment in Malaysia

The following are cost comparisons between Medical procedures in Malaysia and equivalent procedures in the UK and the United States:

Cost comparison with the UK

General and Cosmetic Dentistry

Procedure

UK Hospitals

Malaysia

Average Savings

Face Lift (rhytidectomy)

$11,000 - $12,000

$2,500 - $3,500

70% - 77%

Breast Augmentation (Mammoplasty)

$7,000 - $8,000

$3,000 - $4,000

50% - 57%

Breast Reduction

$8,000 - $9,000

$3,000 - $4,000

55% - 63%

Breast Lift

$2,000 - $3,000

$900 - $1,000

55% - 67%

Tummy Tuck

$6,000 - $7,000

$2,000 - $2,500

64% - 67%

Liposuction (lipoplasty)

$5,000 - $6,000

$2,000 - $3.000

50% - 60%

Nose Surgery (Rhinoplasty)

$5,500 - $6,500

$2,000 - $2,500

61% - 64%

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Procedure

UK Hospitals

Malaysia

Average Savings

Porcelain Bonded Crowns

$950 - $1,000

$150 - $200

80% - 84%

Root Canal (per canal)

$300 - $400

$200 - $250

33% - 38%

Cost comparison with the USA

Medical Procedures

Procedure

US Hospitals

Malaysia

Average Savings

Angioplasty

$55,000 - $57,000

$7,500 - $8,500

80% - 86%

Heart Bypass

$120,000 - $130,000

$11,500 - $12,500

90% - 91%

Heart-valve Replacement

$150,000 - $160,000

$14,500 - $15,500

90% - 91%

Hip Replacement

$41,000 - $43,000

$9,500 - $10,500

75% - 77%

Hysterectomy

$18,000 - $20,000

$3,500 - $4,500

77% - 81%

Knee Replacement

$38,000 - $40,000

$7,500 - $8,500

78% - 80%

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Procedure

US Hospitals

Malaysia

Average Savings

Face Lift (rhytidectomy)

$7,000 - $9,000

$2,500 - $3,500

61% - 64%

Breast Augmentation (Mammoplasty)

$5,000 - $8,000

$3,000 - $4,000

40% - 50%

Breast Reduction

$4,000 - $6,000

$3,000 - $4,000

25% - 33%

Complete Liposuction (lipoplasty)

$4,000 - $6,500

$2,000 - $3.000

50% - 53%

Nose Surgery (Rhinoplasty)

$5,500 - $6,500

$2,000 - $2,500

61% - 63%

General and Cosmetic Dentistry

Procedure

US Hospitals

Malaysia

Average Savings

Root Canal

$600 - $1,000

$200 - $250

67% - 75%

Porcelain Crown

$600 - $1,000

$150 - $200

75% - 80%

Malpractice and Liability Laws in Malaysia

Statistics from 2004 have indicated that at least 50 percent of private medical practitioners in Malaysia had no medical indemnity cover, although the Ministry of Health in Malaysia have declared an increasing trend in the amount of compensation paid by the Malaysian government for liability cases since the year 2000. At present, the Malaysian government follows the Tort system for the control and regulation of litigation cases due to medical malpractice of negligence, wherein compensation is paid only for proven negligent cases.

Quality standards

Tourism infrastructure

Cons

Safety concerns

Terrorist activities and kidnapping of tourists are still primary concerns, particularly in certain areas of the country that are geared toward Western visitors and tourists

Traveling to Malaysia

There are six international airports in Malaysia catering for more than 35 international carriers from all around the world. This makes Malaysia very accessible from neighboring Asian countries as well as from outside the continent. Average estimated travel time in hours

From/To

Malaysia

New York City

20

Los Angeles

19

London

12

Singapore

1

Jakarta

2

Dubai

7

Riyadh

7

Bangladesh

3

Pakistan

5

Tokyo

6.5

Sydney

8

Entry and Exit Requirements to Malaysia

There are various visa requirements to Malaysia depending on the country of origin. Length of stay is typically 1 to 3 months; however extensions may be available upon request to the Malaysian High Commission.
The following is a brief summary of visa requirements from prominent nations where most medical tourists are arriving from (October 2009):